Europe in 8 Bits Review

The chiptune scene has grown in prominence over the past few years, this is due to a heavy dose of nostalgia but also bands such as Crystal Castles and Anamanguchi, which have brought it to the fore and entered the zietgiest.

Europe in 8 Bits is a documentary that looks at the rise of the scene. The documentary is super informative as it told me a lot about the origins and counterculture; the idea of fighting modernity, actually embracing the past technology but utilising it in new ways as exemplified by the mole man who goes to the dump regularly to collect old material and build new stuff from it. Such dedication is to be praised, really!

The Stone Tapes- Cult TV Review

Nigel Kneale is one of the great British writers, gaining prominence with his Quatermass trilogy and other sci-Fi/ supernatural works in T.V. drama. Over his 50 year career in writing, Kneale wrote many pieces that are high televisual watermarks. One of these is The Stone Tapes, a legendary work he wrote which is fondly spoken of so I thought I'd give it a looksie.

Originally shown in 1972 on Christmas Day, this ghost story had just the right mix of the supernatural and science fiction to make a lasting impression. Looking online many people fondly recalled watching the series on their black and white TV's (even though the show itself was shot is colour) and the sleepless nights and nightmares that followed.

The basic plot element identifies that the fabric of a building, the stones, can absorb or record events of the past and re-play them when triggered by another event . In this case, some re-building work taking place in a gothic mansion awaken a malevolent spirit. I don't want to spoil it but the payoff is great and will haunt your dreams.


The whole thing is and looks like it was all shot in a studio, similar in style to Doctor Who, but it works well and stands the test of time after nearly 40 years- a sign of great writing. The cast itself is solid but can be a little shouty at times. Jane Asher plays her role well as a scientist who is experiencing the supernatural phenomenon and slowly losing her mind. Iain Cuthbertson is a dependable actor, performing his role as a friend to Asher well and Michael Bryant excels in his love rat role as Peter, even though he does go bug-eyed and over-dramatic a few times.

The horror of the film does not come in the form of blood and gore but from cranking up tension- something that British television did extremely well in these productions, due to the lack of finances and economy of design- sometimes what you don't see is far more scary than what you do.

After watching the film I was impressed with its contemplation of an uncanny alien presence in the midst of our human world, a very Lovecraftian theme. Don't be put off by the 70's period detail and old-tech computers-this is a thoroughly modern story about the search for a perfect technological archive and could just as easily be about digital media or the web.

The whole production is greatly enhanced by the wonderful Radiophonic Workshop tracks that make the genuinely shocking conclusion all the more powerful. After meditating on the film I can see why this series is so fondly remembered, back at a time when the mass British population weren't desensitised to violence and horror a work like this would have shaken people to the core and after 40 years it still has the power to chill. Thoroughly recommended!

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

The Nostalgia of Low Poly Art

I've spoken before about how nostalgia typically works in 20/ 30 year cycles (linked below). And so it comes to pass that on the 20th anniversary of the Playstation people have looked back with rose tinted eyes at the games of the early Playstation.

For many it was the first real introduction to the world of polygons, typically games had been 2D and sidescrolling on consoles, PCs had been experimenting with polygons for years, but due to their prohibitive price point was unavailable to many. So with the PS release the first wave of polygon games into being, looking at the gallery below you can see that the art was in it's early stages but there was a cubist beauty to its angles and contours. Many polygons had to be sacrificed in the quest for an improved frame rate. The games may look quite janky now but some, especially those with an interesting art direction, still hold up pretty well.

Over the decade we have seen the revival of pixel art and pixellated games, this has in part been due to the rise of the Indie scene and the affection that the creators have for 8 and 16 bit games... but now its the turn of polygon games. For those in the know the low poly art scene has been in full swing for about 3 years. The idea of producing simple items through limited polygons presents an interesting artistic challenge and there are many tools available to do the job. Some are easy and some are more complex but the end result can be curiously spellbinding. I have spoken before about how you can create immersive worlds without the use of photo-realistic graphics and the same applies here in low poly art, you can create wonderful worlds without needing to make it look exactly like the object as we can fill in the details ourselves. A similar event occurred in ancient Greece, although obviously not with computers, where the statues had become so lifelike that there was nowhere else to go with artistic interpretation so there was a move towards more stylised sculpture.

I for one am glad that there is yet another facet to the video game and art scene and am all for different forms of expression. Long live low poly!

LINK- Video Game Soundtracks on Vinyl

Females and Diversity in Mainstream Comics

There was a charge leveled against most mainstream comics that they are white men power fantasies. Looking over the Marvel and DC universe of old, most of the heroes were indeed Caucasian males.  However I feel that this is too harsh a judgement for many reasons; many of the superheroes were created in the 60's when diversity wasn't such a big thing and the comics were aimed at the youth audience, who were traditionally white. So the comics mostly dealt with young white males given or gaining extraordinary powers. This worked for many years but as the story canon has become more obtuse and conflicted it has been difficult for a younger, newer and more diverse audience to access comics.
In a day and age of billion dollar grossing movies the comics industry is trying to branch out and appeal to the diverse audience who access and appreciate these films globally and why shouldn't it? If comics continued on the traditional path they would die a slow death.

When I went to comic shops in the 90's it was mostly older white folk ( which was surprising as I lived in a very culturally diverse town in East London, a melting pot of ethnicities) only really diversifying with the explosion in Marvel Flair '95 and '96 cards due to the popularity of the X Men animated series. But now with Kaboom, Image and small publishing prints it's much more diverse. A large amount of younger female readers have joined the comics wave, either writing, drawing or reading the new versions of classic characters.
Sensing this new audience demographic Marvel and DC have attempted to diversify their cast. The success of comics like the soft rebooted Ms Marvel and She Hulk have led to DC broadening their target audience with comics such as Batgirl and Black Canary (both reboots which don't negate what happened before).

I bought these trades a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying the storylines, artwork and general empowerment of females.

I'm a British Asian male and I love the traditional comics but the newer more diverse comics speak to me (as I mentioned in my article about how Ms Marvel is changing the world). I'm really enjoying the new wave of diversity in comics and long may it continue. Reading the recent trades of She Hulk by Soule and Pulido I came to the 'Legal briefs' page at the back, where the creators come together to share their views, ideas and opinions. A piece written by the editor Jeanine Schaefer really spoke to me as a recent father to a daughter. Women are represented in mainstream comics but only recently are they really getting their due in my opinion.

Jeanine Schaefers editorial to the fans is heartfelt and really struck a cord with me

Video Game Soundtracks on Vinyl

Nostalgia normally works in 30 year cycles. In the 70's and 80's Happy Days was huge, looking back through rose tinted eyes at the 50's. Well now, having reached the ripe old age of 34 I guess I'm the demographic companies are trying to target by appealing for my nostalgia. To that end Data-Discs is releasing video game soundtracks of classic games Streets of Rage and Shenmue on vinyl. Both are the work of legendary Yuzo Koshiro, the influential composer who was particularly renown in the 80's and 90's for creating thumping rhythmic electronic and chiptune music on 8 and 16-bit machines.

In the words of Data-Discs:

We carefully remaster game soundtracks and present them as officially licensed, high quality packages. Our intention is to promote the work of game composers, which is all too often overlooked, and introduce people to an area of music that, despite being culturally significant in many ways, has seldom been available on any format, let alone on vinyl. We aim to release soundtracks that work as standalone pieces; albums that can be enjoyed by casual listeners as well as game fans, and showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the people behind them. 

I have spoken about my love of vinyl before but this is something different. The thought of hearing the tunes of my formative years on my record player is so exciting; this couldn't more hipster if it tried but I'm so in! My wife is buying me the Streets of Rage on vinyl as an Eid present and I can't wait. I have a couple of other video game soundtrack vinyls I hope to be getting soon including the Journey soundtrack by Austin Wintory,

These soundtracks being released got me thinking about other albums I'd like to see on vinyl and so I've compiled a video playlist below. Click away and enjoy. What video game soundtrack would you like to hear on vinyl?

The Beauty of 'Walking Simulators'

The term 'walking simulator' is used to describe a genre of games where a person is asked to explore a setting but there are little to no action buttons to press. As a result many gamers speak of 'Walking Simulators'  in a derogotory way claiming that they are not in fact games. It may seem like semantics but how we label the genre implies that all you do is walk from one side to the other in a guided tour fashion. However there is more to these types of games which I will discuss below.

Walking simulators have gone through a bit of a journey themselves, gaining prominence with Dear Esther and Proteus, which initiated the debate on whether they were games or not. The games did well, but some people asked for a refund from Steam, an online gaming marketplace, claiming there was nothing to do and that these were not games.

In these games Ludonarrative is told by journeying through the world and finding elements of the story rather than through traditional storytelling narrative and the players input is often minimal. However I find that they are incredible experiences that reward exploration and discovery to understand the bigger narrative. Often by finding diary entries, audio files and environmental clues you get to understand the mystery box structure of the narrative, told slowly and carefully through the game.

This genres provides immersive worlds to engage and interact with. In the same way that art has many different forms so do computer games. I recently played through The Evil Within and Wolfenstein: The New Blood and whilst I loved those games sometimes it is great to try something more cerebral and emotional. All are games and all deserve their place in the video games landscape- maybe we can reclaim the name 'walking simulator' and turn it into a positive but I prefer the term "Environmental exploration games."

For those who crave action 'walking simulators' may seem a little boring, but for people open to what a game can be and achieve everyone should experience at least one walking simulator. I have just finished playing The Chinese Rooms Everybody's Gone To The Rapture. This game is a stunning example of how an interactive narrative can deliver an emotional pay-off like no other medium.

I won't spoil it for people who haven't played it but the game sets you in an English village where some catastrophe has occurred and you are the lone survivor. You spend the 4 or so hours of the game exploring the village finding orbs of light that relay events which occurred in the village, like a voyeur. It feels almost like survivors remorse in that you hear peoples pains, anguish and worries. There are some profound moments in the game that will stick with me forever, more deeply embedded than some forms of media because I was the active agent that made these things occur. The way the narrative is presented eschews the typical linear chronological route and instead you have to piece things together, like a David Mitchell novel almost, that is quite an achievement.

'Walking simulators' are a wonderful genre of video games and they encourage us to immerse ourselves in new worlds and scenarios. They are rather passive and sometimes that is what I look for in gaming, its a bit of a change from the norm. A palate cleanser if you will.

Manga Now Exhibition at British Museum is Great

I was lucky enough to go to the British Museum to see the Manga Now exhibition today and it was a wonderfully short but sweet experience. Manga has a long history and so a small room in the museum does not do it justice but it is a welcome exhibition that hopefully will continue to spread the popularity of this art form. As I entered the room I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people walking around and appreciating the art on display. Also there were many people reading a wide variety of manga which the British Museum had laid out for people. All in all I was only there for about 20 minutes but it was good to see 3 distinct manga artists covered. If you're in London it's well worth a look!

Moondial- Cult TV Review

Whilst watching Children of the Stones for my inaugural Cult TV Review I was reading through the YouTube comments and a lot of people kept discussing Moondial, another British TV series which was popular, so I ordered the DVD and watched it and here are my thoughts.

Broadcast originally on the BBC in February 1988, Moondial was a 6 part supernatural/time travel drama based on the book by the popular author Helen Cresswell. During the 80's the BBC had a great reputation for adapting children's books; they were especially good at the slightly creepy and unsettling and this series fits that bill nicely.

Watching the series for the first time I was taken with the opening credits, a wonderfully arthouse and atmospheric piece of work.

The series starts with a bang as young teen Minty has to stay with her Aunt until her mother recovers from a car accident. She has to stay in a small village with a large Manor House containing a beautiful garden and a mysterious moondial. Minty is drawn to the moondial and one night when she feels is drawing her in she goes to it and faints. When she wakes up she finds she has been transported back through time to the turn of the century. Minty spends the series trying to figure out the mystery of the Moondial and the cursed child with the 'Devils Mark'

This series is indicative of the style of programmes British TV was airing during that time for children; at times unusual and slightly spook- and for that it has to be commended. No-one does creeping dread like the British and this sort-of ghost story is beautifully realised. Whilst some of the adult actors do come across as quite hammy and theatrical and some of the child actors precocious to the point of annoying the whole thing generally works. There are moments where things lag, for example pretty much any scene with Minty's annoying Aunt but these are tempered with end of episode cliffhangers that really keep you intrigued and excited.

With my previous review of Children of the Stones I discussed how there was higher level thinking required to figure out the ending. With Moondial the reason why and how Minty is transported is never explained, to quote The Simpsons "Wizard" but I would still recommend this for anyone with an interest in unique and unusual children's TV programmes.

The 3 Best Openings to Films

I've been watching the 3 part BBC series, The Sound of Cinema: The Music of the Movies and it got me thinking about the movies. I have seen hundreds of films of all manner of genres and there are definitely a few that stick in my mind. I have chosen to select the 3 movies which I feel have the most powerful openings; I could have chosen anything really but let's go with this. What are your 3 favourite openings to films? Your job is to watch the ones below and then reply in the comments sections with your 3 favourite openings with links to the openings if possible. Spread the word to 3 other people and let's go viral!

Aguirre: Wrath of God

Blade Runner

Up

Time Flies When Gaming

Time flies in gaming, Tempus Fugit for those in the know with a little Latin (or who have seen that X Files episode). The concept is an old one of losing track of time, like when you are 'lost in a good book' or 'losing track of time'. We've all done it, been in a moment and enjoyed it only to realise that what only seemed like a few minutes has actually been several hours. Simon Parkin has labelled this 'chronoslip' in a fascinating article (linked below) and it got me thinking about my gaming habits and those of the current generation.

As a teacher who recently become a father, time is a premium. I have put aside the 6 week holidays as a chance to catch up on my gaming pile of shame, games that I have bought with the intention of completing but have yet to play . I've got Assassins Creed Black Flag, The Evil Within, Alien Isolation and about another 15 games, all of which I bought months and even years ago but haven't had a chance to play. I started off my 6 weeks by playing The Evil Within, a game by Shinji Mikami, creator of the seminal Resident Evil 4.

There is plenty of tension and gore in The Evil Within

For 5 nights I played the game whilst my wife and baby were asleep, which was usually from around 9:30pm. I really got into the game and loved the mood that it has created, playing with the lights off. On my 3rd day I made good progress completing 5 levels but looked at the time and it was 1:45 am!  Whilst I had been playing it didn't seem like much time had passed let alone 4 hours.

The atmosphere created is amazing, it really gets under your skin

Everyone knows that games are addictive and sometimes you need a lot of self control to turn the machine off. Nintendo recognised this with the reminder set every 45 mins into the Wii, an image of an open window with fluttering curtains enticing you outside. At the time of playing games on the Wii I'd always quickly skip past it, finding it an annoyance and continuing on but now I'm a lot more aware of chronoslip.

In my youth spending 4/5 hours gaming was not a problem, in fact I'd occasionally pull all-nighters with my friends, getting our University work done during the afternoon and playing classic games like Mario Kart until the next day. These 12/ 13 hour binges were fine back then but now I have priorities so 4/5 hours of my time is a big deal.

 The reason I'm writing this article is because I was reading about gaming related deaths, y'know, the ones you hear about occasionally in the media and normally from South East Asia where someone has died whilst gaming due to not eating or going to the toilet for 3 days etc.

I'm not that hardcore anymore due to time and family constraints but it does get you thinking that with the addictive nature of gaming and MMO games which you could potentially play forever, does something need to be done to promote healthy gaming?

In South Korea they have passed the 'Cinderella Law' which prohibits people under the age of 18 from being in an internet cafe after midnight (internet cafes being the way most people in South Korea play games due to the fact it is cheap and convenient). In England I worry about how much time the children I teach spend playing video games. Don't get me wrong, when I was their age I spent hours and hours playing video games but I also went outside a lot to the park and hung out with my friends, going to the cinema, playing on our bikes etc. As society becomes more afraid of letting their children play outside are we going to have a generation of unfit children who succumb to chronoslip? Time will tell... As for me I'm off to plough more hours into Dark Souls, only 8 hours in and I've barely made progress.

LINK- Simon Parkin's Article 'The Sometimes Fatal Attraction of Video Games'

A Shout Out To Comic Creator Raina Telgemeier!

Can you name the top selling comic artist who has been in the New York Times Bestsellers list for the last three years? Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Scott Snyder or Brian K. Vaughan? Maybe you've got Neil Gaiman or someone else like Frank Miller. You're not going to get it, I can tell you now.

Raina Telgemeier.... yup, Raina Telgemeier. For many of you that name will not be familiar, even those of you who are into comics. That's because Raina's books are mostly for teens and young adults. On May 10, 2015, Telgemeier's works took all of the top four spots on the New York Times bestseller list for paperback graphic books- a first in the medium.

She is one of the biggest selling comic artists but is often forgotten from the comics dialogue, overshadowed by more well know brands such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman and the like. However this is a real shame as I love her work, I first read her award winning book Smile a few years ago and incorporated the graphic novel into my computing lesson plans when teaching computing in Cambodia. I got my pupils to use the Scholastic Graphix Comic Builder to create a comic using the in-browser tools and was taken by the art style and honesty in the story.Since then I have read Drama, a very human story which deals with issues such as identity, sexuality and friendship and her follow up to Smile, Sisters.

So this post is merely to flag up the work of a hardworking but under-appreciated and under-recognised artist.

Children Of The Stones- Cult TV Series Review

I'm a huge fan of suspense and horror- it's one of my favourite genres. I especially like when it isn't simply jump scares, gore porn or cheap thrills but a piece of work that builds up tension slowly and the payoff is exciting and jolting. So for my first review I've decided to look at Children Of The Stones. I chose this because I heard it mentioned a few times and spoken of affectionately by several people including comedian Stewart Lee, who described it as the scariest children's programme ever. As a fan of Twin Peaks, X Files, American Gothic and the like this sounded right up my street so I decided to give it a look.

Children of the Stones is often described as a landmark in children's television. The series was filmed largely in Avebury in Wiltshire and progresses over 7 episodes, shown weekly over the Summer of 1977. The series introduces us to astrophysicist Adam Brake (played by Gareth Thomas who is famous for Blake 7- I've never seen that show though) and his son Matthew as they go to the village of Milbury to carry out research on an ancient Megalithic stone circle. When they arrive at the village they start to understand that its people are held captive by the sinister power of its stone circle and the mysterious Hendrick, a prominent figure in the village.

The spooky ethereal music sets the sinister mood, the soundtrack is beautiful dark and unsettling. To get a hint of the creepiness check out the opening credits and the first few minutes of the first episode, then try to sleep tonight.

I found the introduction was very similar to the beginning of Twin Peaks where we are introduced to an outsider going into a small community. At just over 2 and a half hours the tale is well paced and crafted, brought to the screen with some very adept direction and a remarkably haunting musical score which heightens the mood and tension. The cast are excellent, even the child actors perform astonishingly well. Iain Cuthbertson is excellent in channeling his best Crowley and succeeds in being sinister.
Unsurprisingly, Children of the Stones has gained a devoted cult following in the decades since its first transmission in 1977. There are a few online forums where people still discuss the ending and the implications of what occurred at the conclusion and any series that does that is okay in my book, except Lost, now that ending sucked! Children of the Stones is inescapably haunting, even if you see it now for the first time as an adult (which I did). 

This is an incredibly intelligent, atmospheric and genuinely unnerving series and to call it a children's show is a bit of an insult. If I had to describe it to the uninitiated I'd say it was like a Young Adult version of the Wicker Man. This may seem like hyperbole as this is high praise indeed but both share many of the themes and ideas such as outsiders coming into a new town full of strange folk who seem to be guarding a secret about an ancient evil. To be honest I'm surprised it got away with being shown before the watershed. It isn't horror per se but the way people act and the situation brings a creeping dread. The series incorporates such complex concepts such as 'Time Circles', 'Psychic Bubbles' and 'Time Rifts'- heady subjects for adults let alone a programme supposedly aimed at children.

My affection for Cult Films and TV Series

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations as well as the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. However I became interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending University. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of videos to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously. As a result I believe that I am quite literate in films and TV but the series that really attracts me are the more offbeat curios.

I've explained my love for old creepy films here before and now on this website I will be sharing my love by writing reviews . There are hundred of reviews about Metropolis, Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and other stone-cold classics so I don't think I could add anything new to the conversation but lesser remembered works like Quatermass, Children of the Stones, The Stone Tapes, Moondial and Threads; now those are something I feel I could add to the conversation so occasionally I may post a review or article about these films and series... Come join me and maybe find some works which may interest you.

Alice In Cartoonland Exhibition at Cartoon Museum

Alice In Wonderland is an influencial piece of work created by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll. It has been inspiring people for 150 years and to commemorate this wonderful anniversary the Cartoon Museum in Holborn has been hosting an exhibition. The Alice In Cartoonland exhibition brings together satirical artworks, advertisements and pieces of Disney memorabilia. I went to the exhibition and was enchanted by the small but beguiling works on show. To sweeten the deal there was even a small platter of cream cakes with a note saying 'Eat me'. If you have time and are interested in Wonderland then this exhibition is perfect for you.

Ladybird Exhibition Brings Back the Memories

Ladybird books are over 100 years old and to commemorate this centenary the House of Illustration is holding an exhibition. For many generations of people the little ladybird logo is a sign of quality and nostalgic familiarity.
Among the series exhibited are 'Shopping with Mother' featuring Peter and Jane, 'Well Loved Tales' and the  'Nature' and 'Science' series.

My collection of Ladybird books- all bought from charity shops in the past couple of weeks.


I went to the museum and thoroughly enjoyed the waves of nostalgia that overtook me as I looked at classic iconic illustrations from the classic fairy tales and the adventures of Peter and Jane.The exhibition is detailed with many original illustrations from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I was especially interested by the history of the Ladybird book series, borne out of necessity due to paper rationing in the Second World War.

Inside the Classic Fairy Tales books was this beautiful artwork, can you name all the fairytales?

The Puddle Lane series of books were really exciting and required a higher reading level- at least that's what I remember as a kid!

For anyone with fond memories of halcyon days of yore and nostalgia for the simpler times as portrayed in the  Ladybird books this exhibition is perfect for you.

For The Love of Vinyl

I've had a record player for a while now and in that time have built up a small but solid collection of vinyl records. I initially went to record shops I knew, like Rough Trade in Brick Lane but they were really expensive with albums typically costing from £25 upwards. I found that a far more manageable and fun way is to crate surf at market stalls and charity shops. Some charity shops know that there is a demand for vinyl so do specialist music only shops. I've collected a lot from Oxfam for a great price including some of the Jean Michel Jarre albums from the 70's and 80's Mike Oldfield in his prime. All for a princely £2.99 each, bargain!

I've also recently splurged a little and bought the Three Colours Soundtracks for Kieslowski's masterpeices for £15 each on Amazon. These came with CD recordings included (which I already had but it's a nice touch). My prize is an old pressing of the Fleetwood Mac Rumours album. This only coat me £4.99 and is in pristine condition. All in all I have about 20 records which is not bad by my reckoning. Long live crate surfing and charity shops

Gamers To The Rescue After £5000 Robbery From Beloved Arcade

The Heart of Gaming, one of the only remaining arcades in London, was robbed on the 22nd July. The arcade is popular with gamers as alongside the modern consoles are retro machines and old gaming cabinets with classics such as Donkey Kong, Street Fighter 2 and House of the Dead. 

The Heart Of Gaming in North Acton is one of the last bastions of gaming


The thieves took more than £5,000 worth of equipment which included the most recent consoles, games and peripherals. Thankfully the arcade machines were left untouched, the thieves targeting smaller more saleable items. 

Luckily the arcade machines were untouched.

The timing of the robbery could not be worse, any time is a bad time to be robbed, but just at the start of the school holidays is very unfortunate. Mark Starkey (owner of the HOG) and April Periera-Finn (Manager of the HoG) sought to galvanise the support from their large community and fanbase and through a gofund campaign sought to gain £5000 to replace the stolen items and smashed their target within two days (at the time of writing this article the total reached was £5430). The response has been fantastic and what is so heartening to see is that many people who donated have not even been to the HOG but wanted to help such an important cause for the gaming community. With the funds achieved anything extra is going towards buying security cameras and furnishing the building with higher security doors. Who said that the gaming community was toxic? This is the community coming together to help a cause they believe in. Long live the HOG!

LINK- HOG Gofund

Harajuku Fashion

I've always had an affinity for Japanese fashion, I like the fact that high end haute-couture is mixed with quirky unique pieces. This hodgepodge approach creates a kleptomaniac look.

I've already written an article on my love of anime and manga and my dark weeabo past but I remember finding Fruits and Fresh Fruits, a Japanese fashion book, in Forbidden Planet and loving the unique and individual tastes of the people within the books. Both books are full of color photos taken by Shoichi Aoki in Japan’s Harajuku district which is known for its quirky street fashion.

As someone trying to find my own identity I could relate with the young people in the magazine, youth who wanted to present themselves in a society which can be oppressive and overbearing. In fact the magazine and this counterculture movement gave me courage to express myself more and not be afraid to be me.
When I travelled to Japan a couple of years ago my wife and I went to Harajuku and fell in love with the shops and individual boutique shops; it's refreshing to find an area where chain stores are not omnipresent. So for people in the know Harajuku fashion is amazing but for those who don't know about it, check out the inspirational video below which will give you insights into this counterculture phenomenon!

Economy Of Design

The current generation of computing is extremely powerful and many of the triple A releases are geared towards realism. Now as a gamer I love the bloom and particle effects, 1080p and next generation graphics but sometimes all I crave is an art style that looks beyond mere graphic fidelity. Whilst a lot of games shoot for realism there are some games that instead tread a different path, one to do with economy of design. A distinctive art style may seem primitive when compared to the modern realism but as years go by and technology improves the games with the distinct art style are usually the ones that stand the test of time. Just think about the realism of some of the games from 2002 compared to Windwaker, which one looks the more impressive now? A good art direction and style can make some games timeless. Here are some of my favourite games with a distinct art style which I think stand the test of time, what do you think?

Beyond Good And Evil

Tempest 2000

Okami

Child of Light

Limbo

Monument Valley

Rayman Legends

Rez

The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker

Minecraft: More Than A Game

Minecraft is where a lot of people spend their leisure time, irrespective of age or gender (although it is more popular amongst the pre-teens). As a teacher I've lost count of the number of times I've heard children speak to me and each other about the game, I am a gamer and know Minecraft well however a lot of the children know the Minecraft world better than they do planet Earth.  As part of BBC's 'Make It Digital' initiative, to inspire digital creativity across the UK Jolyon Jenkins asks why our children are hooked on the  game Minecraft. The radio show is very interesting and for the uninitiated very informative, for those in the know it is just a consolidation of what you know but it well worth a listen. As for the parents who say that the game makes their children irritable, consider not allowing them play it non stop over the weekend maybe.